“From the abundance of his spirit [the poet] pours out secrets and mysteries rather than rational explanation” (Prologue, The Spiritual Canticle).

“In contemplation God teaches the soul very quietly and secretly, without its knowing how, without the sound of words” (Chapter 39, The Spiritual Canticle).

In the spirit of St. John of the Cross, this blog reflects on the contemplative experience and the poetic experience, sometimes separately and distinctly, sometimes in common, as mutually enlightening.

I will also post to this blog, from time to time, my own poetry, with a short interpretive note attached.

Reflections on Holy Week – Part 1 of 4

What happened to the body of Jesus after his crucifixion? Where did it go? It depends on what me mean by body, right?

By body are we referring to Jesus’ humanity, or, more specifically, to his mortality, his being subject to a finite existence as an isolated and vulnerable self, ultimately beholden to death?

Or, in a similar, but more theological vein, are we referring to his being incarnate—that is, the divine now embodied and comprising a specific and concrete presence among us as one of us, a member of our race or species?

Or are we referring rather precisely to Jesus’ historical presence—that is, his presence within human history, a presence revealed through his acting upon it, his affecting and changing it, even in some measure transforming it? That is what we must mean when we call Jesus “savior.” From within human history he propelled it irrevocably in a forward rush of recreative grace, the coming of the Father’s kingdom.

He did so, of course, by means of his active, embodied presence among us. Thus, can we say that, by the word body, we are referring to Jesus’ life work, his mission, his cause?Written by Fr. Bonaventure, OCD